The benefits of using fiber glass wall coverings are well known. Fiber glass wall coverings offer fire resistance, easy and uncomplicated handling and flexibility in use. They also exhibit good abrasion resistance and appearance following painting. On the other hand, fiber glass wall coverings of the prior art require special glues or adhesives with strong binding forces and require cost-intensive and time consuming painting procedures. In addition, fiber glass wall coverings of the prior art cannot be removed without cost-intensive and time consuming procedures.
Typically, when redecorating a wall, the surface of the wall that is to receive the fiber glass wall covering must be filled with a filler and sanded at least twice to form a smooth surface. This method requires filler materials, equipment, and skill, and produces a dusty work environment.
A method to remove unwanted fiber glass wall coverings from the wall involves the application of chemicals. Such chemicals penetrate the paint and dissolve the glue. After that treatment the glass fiber fabric can be stripped from the wall. This method is also available while using a special glue/paint system that makes the stripping process somewhat easier. Both methods require chemicals, which are normally irritating to the skin, and create a wet and messy environment.
In the past, many attempts have been made to avoid the disadvantages of standard glass fabric adhesives, e.g., when removing the glass fabrics from the wall or when modifying the fabric surface, so as to reduce the complex and time consuming procedures for the end-user. International Publication No. WO 98 14 655 describes glass fiber wall coverings that utilize a thermoplastic adhesive. Thermoplastic adhesives require a special temperature treatment which necessitates the use of additional equipment. Such process is complicated and time consuming.
The necessary temperature treatment can be avoided when using a self-adhesive layer as the backing layer. DE 198 11 152 describes a painted or printed glass wall covering with a self-sticking backing. Such systems cannot be removed without the use of chemicals.
EP 0 909 850 describes a finished wall covering with a multicolor print and a self-adhesive backing. Such system can be removed from the wall. However, self-adhesive wall coverings are relatively expensive because they require additional production steps, e.g., one must cover the adhesive layer prior to use. In addition, the handling of such wall coverings when being attached to the wall is completely different from that employed with standard applications.
All “non-standard” systems mentioned above require special materials and equipment. The handling differs from standard papering procedures. Therefore it is much desired in the art to provide a strippable glass fiber fabric which retains the good aspects of fiber glass wall coverings, i.e., fire resistance, easy handling, flexibility, appearance, and abrasion resistance, and which can be used with standard gluing and painting materials such as are already being used with glass fiber wall coverings.